The Reaping
by rinhanyou
Summary: We all know about our believed Shinsengumi and their epic fights, as well as their many secrets. But what if in far yet near future, WE, yes we the people of modern time, needed them again? The Shinsengumi fight in modern time, no not our modern time. How about 30 some years from where you stand right now. Can the Shinsengumi fight against an old enemy that has spun out of control?
1. Prologue

Intro

Since the beginning, there was war. There have always been wars. Wars for territory, for false freedom and glory. Wars for religion, or who get's what, and who is right. There have always been wars. Should there even be just two human beings standing in world full of nothing, there will always be war. How irrational. But what would happen if mankind is threaten to the break of extinction? Even then, will they not learn? Why is it the rules and fantasies they play out for themselves, these so called "social norms" and "cultural traditions" be used as tags to limit themselves and segregate themselves from each other rather then noticing that they are the same human flesh and bone regardless of the clothes they wear, the way the speak, or the color they show. How did a flag became so powerful as to destroy sanity rather than serve it's true purpose to unite. They shouldn't need a flag. Just their eyes, to look at one another. They are the same. How ignorant these human creatures, they bare no pride, they lost it, years ago. But now that they're near the end. Their walls torn, their flags burned. Incompetent humans, what will you do now?

Prologue

As I frantically try to grasp my last breaths of air, I'm beginning to remember. Flashes of memories of my wife and children run fast through my mind mix in with the chaos that broke out without warning. My name, isn't important. I am a soldier, a U.S. Marine officer, and I was damn proud of it. Man . . . what an idiot I was. I wasn't even born in the U.S., my family was originally from Okinawa, Japan. Yeah, I'm Japanese. But why does that matter to me anymore. When I turned 13 my parents divorced, and my mother took me and my brother with her to San Francisco where her new boyfriend lived. He's the same guy who got me into the Marines. He was an officer himself. I remember the times spent with him and when he would take me to summer camp, it was one of the best times of my life. I had all but forgotten what Japan looked like. I can barely understand the language now. It never even crossed my mind going back. I grew up, fell in love with a blue-eyed brunette American beauty, had two kids, and entered the Marines as soon as the diploma was in my hand. To us, the enemy is the enemy. There's no time to question whether or not the person has a family. You just . . . . shoot. Yeah . . . I've killed a few people. I can't say I'm proud of that. All I knew was, just don't think about it, and . . . it's for our country. My country. Ha- . . . . I'm loosing air. Kinda hard to remember how all this shit started. There was a cure. A medical break through. Seemed like they finally found the cure to cancer. A lot of people were saved. Everything was going right. What the hell happened then?! Just a week later, a few newscasts about people complaining over headaches and seizures. Rabie like symptoms. Just when things couldn't get freakier, from one night the following morning we were isolating major cities in several parts of the globe. The enemy is the enemy, don't think about it. Just shoot. What happens when you're aiming at something that was once your beloved wife while watching her . . . IT eat away at your kids. How do you not think about that? How? Gah! It's starting. I can feel it. This throbbing, pounding pain, feels like my head is going to explode. I couldn't do it, not that quick. It's not like in the war. It was worse.

"Sir! Permission to fire."

One of the men if my unite asks as he points his gun to my head. "Nah . . . I got this one. Thank you, for everything. It has been an honor working with you. I'll take my leave now." I said as I staggered to get back up on my feet with a loaded gun in my right torn and bitten hand. I began to march on near the coast as I watched the sun begin to set on the horizon, leaving a trail of thickened black tar like blood trail that I kept spitting out. My time was running out. That **thing** inside me was itching to rip it way out in me. I won't let it. But before I pull the trigger, there are a few things I need to clear out. Today's date, August 15th, 2045, Judgment Day, everyone's calling it. There was intel on a rather questionable group that was working on a remedy that would cure all illnesses, especially cancer. over these past decades, cancer has been the ever growing cause for many people's deaths around the world, rich and poor. It had become so common, that on average, 1 out of 5 people in any place in the world was diagnosed with terminal cancer of any and all types. It was in the very air that we breathe, they said. So much contamination that it was mutating our cells far too quickly to detect. People were desperate. It wasn't a matter of, will you get it, it was when. It didn't matter how healthy or unhealthy you ate anymore. Then again it was never really about that. This group of genetic engineers and scientists were developing a mutated virus that would attack the cancerous cells, and replenish the body with good cells that work ten times more efficient than the originals. And it worked, since introduced back in July 13, people were brought back on their feet better than ever. No more pain, no more suffering. All was going perfect. Until a week ago. August 8th, many people who had received the treatment began to feel very strange, alarming headaches and endless thirst and hunger that couldn't be quenched by food or water. People couldn't eat, they would immediately regurgitate what they had eaten. Some began to notice blood in their vomit. Others would go to the hospital and find as their blood was getting drawn out, that it would be thick and practically black. The sun was a struggle. Sunlight would hurt them and weaken them. They could no longer move in the sun. Then reports of attacks, cannibalism, and such. First, it was a few isolated incidents. Before I knew it, before any of us knew it, we were here. August 15th, 2045. Dooms Day, Judgment Day. Whatever. Haha. Well, I guess this is where it ends for me. _-chk- _I remove the trigger guard from my gun and lift it to my head. I'm coming home Linda, can't wait to see you and the kids again. _-pulls the trigger- _


	2. Chapter 1

[please note: A lot of the content may be in foreign dialogue, so a number will be placed in brackets after the dialogue so that you may search bellow the chapter to see the translation(via g-translate, yeah sorry I'm lame like that). As for the italics; because our beloved characters are in fact Japanese, to distinguish between what is being spoken in english and what is being spoken in japanese, what is suppose to be japanese will be in italics. I've decided to do so because I would be a hassle to have two thirds of the story in japanese with the translations on the bottom, so everything that is meant to be Japanese will be in italics. The rest which is meant to be english will be in regular text. With all that put aside, please enjoy :) up first is Hijikata's route]

Chapter 1: The Awakening

"General! Komm sieh dir das an! Schnell!"_[1]_ a man in a long white coat called out from bellow, from outside the glass wall before me. I can't

understand what these people are saying. Talking to one another in languages I don't know. They keep looking over at me. Me. Who? Who am I? Why can't I

remember. I remember someone calling out to me. A girl. I can't remember. In my head, flashes of fire, cannons, bloody swords. Blue coats. A red flag with

the symbol of "truth". That same girl, dressed in a red western combat uniform. She's calling out to me. What is she saying? What did she call me? What's

my name? Who am I? The people outside the glass wall are coming closer to me. They brought a man in a strange uniform that I can't recognize. He's

smiling at me. I don't like it, it doesn't feel right. I look around the room. Crystal tubes filled with strange substances. There are others held within large

cylinders filled with fluid. Is . . . that how I look right now. The one to my left. He looks familiar. Why do a feel an emptiness and pain from looking at him?

The man to my left, I believe his name was . . . it was . . . I-Isa- . . . ko . . . I can't remember. What's happening? Why can't I remember anything? What's

happened to me? How did I get here? When? They come closer, I think I understand the man in the uniform.

_"Are you awake now?"_

Awake? I suppose. But I can't respond. There-?! There's something over my mouth?! What is this? How long have I had this? I take my hand and try to pull it

off, but I have no strength. It's tight on.

_"No no no no, Don't try and take it off, You'll drown. How about we get you out of there first, and we'll help you out. And maybe-"_ he smirks, an ominous

feeling overcomes me. from it. _"-you can help us with a few things. How does that sound?"_

Yes. Get me out of this thing. I can't seem to move well. My body is lagging. The fluid begins to recede, something is draining it out. But I can't stand. I'm

slowly collapsing to the floor as the strange water disappears. They quickly pull me out and seat me. The man in the uniform comes to me.

_"Tell me. Can you understand me?"_ I nod. _"I see, good. Do you know who you are? Do you remember your name?"_ I look down slowly unable to respond. _"I _

_see. Well it's okay, you'll remember. Have a good look around. Do you recognize anyone?"_ I do as he said and look around. Several people in long white

coats study the others that lay in the cylinders. The people in the coats, not one is familiar. But several of the men in the cylinders are very familiar. There's

one man, looks like he's wounded, I watch as the people in the white coats take him out of the room. That wounded man, I know him. He looks like he's no

longer alive.

_"Oh I see you noticed that one. He woke up much earlier than you. But he was a bit of a . . . handful. He was being disobedient, so we had to, eh, dispose of _

_him. But I know, you will not disappoint me. Right? We need you."_ I look over at him, maybe more like glaring at him without realizing it till he points it out.

_"What's with that look? Don't worry, we wont hurt you. We'll give you anything you like. What we want is something very simple. Nothing too important. _

_We're your friends. We're on your side." _

I didn't believe him. I kept looking out around the room. I watched as the fallen man and the others carrying him disappear from the room. I look out again

to the others, I keep hearing the uniformed man ask, over and over. _"What is your name? C'mon, I know you can remember. What is your name?"_ I look

again around, and begin to try and remember the names of the people. That one . . . he's . . . his name is Sannan Keisuke, and the other . . . Inoue

Genzaburo. Yamazaki, Shinpachi, Harada, Heisuke- "-jikat-. . .-san!" That girl screams out to me again through flashes in my mind. I continue to scan the

room. Shimada, Saito, "-ijik-ta-. . .-san!" She continues to call out in my head. Who are you? Why are you crying out to me? Why does she look so

emotionally torn? "-j-k-ta-. . .-san!" images race through my head. Flashes of fights and wars, swords clashing. Those people, those same people I was

naming, falling one by one. Blood. A secret? I keep scanning the room. S-Souji. I remember. And the one next to him, the one who was next to me. "-IJ-KA-

T-. . .-SAN!" Kondo Isami, my best friend. I remember, we made a promise, we shared a dream. We built the dream together, with these people, our friends,

our family. And . . . that girl. "-KATA SAN!". My name. My name. My name!

_"Are you alright? If you need time, I'll have someone take elsewhere so you may rest."_ The man in uniform replied. I quickly grabbed on to his sleeve before

he could get up, and slowly met his gaze. I glared. I finally opened my mouth and spoke. I remembered! My name, I am . . .

_"Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi, HIJIKATA TOSHIZOU!"_

-time later-

_". . . . ng. Huh?"_ I opened my eyes, and slowly staggered to get up. The room was dark, barely visible. Slight echoes of strange demonic like howls from far

outside the walls filled the air and it's dark heinous silence. _"W-What happened? When did I . . . ?"_ I got up on my feet, I looked down at my light grey yukata

for a moment then looked around me. Everything was a mess. The room was familiar, I had been here prior to blacking out. There were people here, and it

was pretty lit up, what had happened? I took two steps then ran into a person with a long white coat covered in bites and blood. His flesh torn and limbs

almost chewed of. It was utterly bewildering and aggravating to see. I leaped back and looked around. There were quite a few men and women in white coats

lying dead on the floor. Blood filled the nebulous peculiar room. Broken glass, shattered items all over the room, the foul stench of rotting corpses. These

people have been dead for far too many days. I continue to take a few steps and look around. More and more bodies all across the floor everywhere I looked.

Blood, torn flesh. Endless pieces of torn flesh scattered everywhere. It was petrifying. The more I looked the more blood and torn flesh I found. And endless

corpses, many skinned to the bone. I have seen the product of battling in the range of cannon fire, but never seen anything so savage as what I was

witnessing. As if wild animals came and began to rip apart everyone on site. Yet, I was alive, untouched, unharmed while in the midst of this chaotic scene. I

felt sharp pins in the skin of my arms, so looked down at them. Needles dug deep under my skin. I struggled a bit to take them out, each one by one. But

most of these needles where pinned deep under the skin of my scull. Taking these out filled me with excruciating pain, there were at least six. I took the last

one out from the back of my head then fell on my hands and knees gasping for air, the pain was unbearable for a minute or two that felt like hours. The pain

slowly subsisted and I got back up on my feet. I looked around and caught a shadow off the corner of my eye. I first stood frozen for a moment, then I heard

footsteps outside of the room walking away. Debating whether I should follow and see who or what it was, I moved slowly and hesitantly towards the exit of

the room and into the next. Before exiting the room, I took a slight peek out and saw the shadow of a person walking down the hall. I slowly crept out of the

room and rushed slightly to catch up to whatever was casting that shadow. I was beginning to catch up when suddenly I saw the shadow holt, so I stopped

and found a nearby room and hid. I took a breath or two before holding it in again to look out. As I peeked out, the shadow was gone! My heart began to

beat out of my chest, but I stood my ground, ready for whatever it could have been. The problem however, I did not have my katanas or any weapon in my

disposal. I was completely on my own. I took three maybe four steps out when suddenly the hairs behind my neck stood up. I stopped. All breathing had

stopped. I could feel it, a presents from behind, it felt like it could be perhaps less then a few inches from me. A chill ran up my spine, my eyes widened.

Ready to turn around and attack when suddenly, _"_T-Toshi? _That is you, right?"_ a very familiar, relieving and heart warming voice came from the figure behind

me, I could feel the tears too heavy to hold in. I slowly turned my head a bit, then turned my body completely to face him. I stuttered and hesitated to

speak. The air in my lungs had been knocked out, but with all I could, I spoke " . . . . g- . . . g-Gen san?" my eyes watery and a heavy heart. He looked back

at me both relieved and unexplainably overjoyed to see me, as I was to see him again. Especially after my last memory of him was looking over his defeated

lifeless body. The guilt and the heavy burden mashed with the joy and bliss of seeing him alive and well again before me fell densely in my chest into a

chaotic mess of emotions. "Toshi,_ I never thought that I would see you here. Am I truly happy to see you again. Heh, to see everyone again._" he said to me,

but part of what he said caught my attention. _"E-Everyone . . . ?"_ what did he mean? Could it be? _"Yes. Well, most everyone. We're still looking around. _

_However, with such gruesome scenes, we are also being careful and keeping on alert for whatever it is that's responsible for such a display."_

_"Gen san, you don't know what it is that generated this? You didn't see anything?"_

_"I'm afraid not. We woke up a little past an hour ago searching to see if anyone recognizable was still alive and well."_

_"We? Who else is-?"_

_"Nagakura san, Harada san, and Shimada san. I was with Shimada san in the same room. We were filled with needles and bandages all over when both I and _

_Shimada woke. We took a few steps out of our rooms and ran into Nagakura san and Harada san, who also woke up in the same state. But once we reunited, _

_it wasn't long before we walked into a pool of blood, torn flesh and bodies. The stench is unlike anything any of use have ever experienced."_ He was right,

never before had I ever come across such a scene despite the many years of war we each have witnessed together as well as individually.

_"Where are they now? Shinpachi, Harada, and Shimada?"_ I asked him. He smiled at me _"Shimada isn't too far from here, we just split up a few moments ago _

_when I felt your presents from behind. Truly you startled me."_

_"Ah, I'm sorry, to be honest I wasn't expecting you at all. Especially after I woke surrounded by endless dismantled corpses."_ I smiled back nervously after

remembering the terrifying moment I felt before knowing it was Gen san who was behind me all along. _"What about Harada and Shinpachi?"_

_"We split less than an hour ago, haven't heard from them since. However, I trust they're well, still looking if there are others. Glad to see you again Toshi."_

I smiled at him _"So am I. To see such a warm welcoming face again." _Suddenly, we hear someone rush in.

_"Gen san!"_

_"Is that Shinpachi?"_ I asked, turning back and saw both Shinpachi and Shimada rush in. They both holt and look at me surprised.

Nagakura Shinpachi: _"Hijikata san!? Hijikata san is that really you!?"_

Shimada Kai: _"Vice Comander!? It's so good to see you!"_

Hijikata Toshizo:_ "As well am I. In the midst of so much chaos and confusion, I'm happy to see you all again. Where is Harada?"_

Nagakura Shinpachi:_"That's what we came here for, Harada's back there, we found Sannan san, and . . . well just come and see for yourself."_ He pointed

back and smirked. We all hurried and went after them as we followed through the endless hallways leading to more chaos and darkness. And that bitter

silence that would follow with the low hum of disembodied howls from far outside the walls. the aura filled with a bitter-sweet taste. Just where exactly were

we? Those images of people in long white coats and the endless glass tubes and cylinders that filled the room, was it all a dream. Couldn't be. I see those

same people now scattered all over the floor, but covered in blood. What happened here? We kept following behind cautiously until we ran into Harada.

Nagakura Shinpachi:_ "Sano!"_

Harada Sanosuke:_ "Keep it down will ya'."_

Sannan Keisuke:_ "Yes, be mindful before you speak so loudly. We have yet to understand our position right now."_

Hijikata Toshizo:_ "Sannan san. It's good to see you again."_ He looked at me surprised.

Sannan Keisuke:_ "Hijikata kun? Is that really you?"_

Unable to contain myself at first, I reached out to them.

Hijikata Toshizo: _"Yes, yes, it's me! I'm so happy to see you again, all of you, and- . . . !"_ I stopped. Completely in shock and astonished at the figure behind

Sannan san. If I could not find the words to describe how I felt before, I can assure that if I could find a meaningful and accurate way to put relief, euphoric,

lament, and grief-stricken into a single implication, I would. The figure of the man walked out from the shadows. It would seem, he and I share the exact

feeling as we always have in the past. This man, I truly was a wreck without him.

?: _". . . . t-. . . "_ he could not find the words to speak, it would seem we both had lost our voices. Our hearts throbbed. I waited no longer and held him in my

arms. My brother, my best friend. The tears in our eyes streamed down our faces. Everyone around us just stood quite and smiled in a melancholic manner. I

did not want to separate from this man, not for a moment. I closed my eyes hoping that it wasn't a dream. This had to be real! This world could not be so

cruel as to rip out my heart once again. I took a step back and held on to his shoulders. I wept.

Hijikata Toshizo:_ ". . . k-Kondo san . . . ? Kondo san? Kondo san . . . w-why? Why did you leave me?"_

Kondo Isami:_ "Forgive me." _

Hijikata Toshizo: _"You really are a cruel man. Do you understand the pain, the burden, the torment of knowing that I let my best friend since childhood, the _

_man I looked up to like an older brother die while I escape with our troops along with your title, do you have any idea what you left me with?"_

Kondo Isami: _"Please forgive me, Toshi. Please, please forgive me. I had to. I couldn't stand the idea of you facing the imperial army all on your own in the _

_condition you were in. Please forgive me. I was a coward. I've made so many mistakes, and my men, my friends and family were hurting from it, I couldn't _

_face it anymore!"_

Hijikata Toshizo:_ "Don't ever, ever do that to us again! Don't ever do that to me again, Kondo san!"_ I took him into my arms again and grabbed on tight.

Reciting how I refuse to let him go ever again in my mind over and over and over again. He held on tightly to me as well. Continuously begging for

forgiveness. Forgiveness that was not needed, for it was I who wanted forgiveness the most from him, but I was too ashamed to beg for forgiveness.

Kondo Isami: _"Forgive me . . . forgive me . . . " _

Nagakura Shinpachi: _"There's no need to apologies, Kondo san. We couldn't have asked for a better leader. Time was against our odds in our war, but I never _

_regret every moment fighting under you."_

Harada Sanosuke:_ "That's right. Kondo san, Hijikata san. The two of you are what made the Shinsengumi soar higher than anything that Japan was ready for. _

_I must truly say, having been part of the Shinsengumi with the two of you as our leaders, was unlike anything I could have ever dreamed of."_ Gen san, and

the others nodded, facing Kondo san and I. We both separated and turned to them. Grinning, I knew exactly what Kondo san wanted to say. We shared the

same thoughts, I turned to Kondo san and smiled back at him, then looked back at the others.

Hijikata Toshizo:_ "No. It was all of you who made the Shinsengumi valuable, powerful, and possible. We could have never asked for anything better. We _

_couldn't have dreamed of having anyone better than all of you. It was you, who fought with us, along side us, together, with pride and heart. We truly are _

_thankful to you all, for everything. For all those years spent together, despite the outcome, it was all worth it."_ I said to them, when another person entered

the circle.

?:_ "No scene is more graceful than the one that stands before me."_ The man in a similar yukata to ours, with dark yet violet tint hair spoke with a heart

warming familiar smile, as he appeared from the shadows.

Nagakura Shinpachi:_ "Saito! Long time no see."_

Saito Hajime:_ "I never thought I would ever see my family again. Having been alone for so long. it became clear to me life wasn't worth living if I didn't _

_stand __raising the flag of 'truth' along with my brothers. I've missed you all, so much."_

Shimada Kai: _"I couldn't have said it better myself. I can't imagine my life without the Shinsengumi if it doesn't involve solitude and despair. You all truly are _

_my family as well."_

Harada Sanosuke: _"Yeah, I'm sure that's the same for all of us. Hahaha, after all we've been through, together. Now, not that I don't like reminiscing on our _

_times spent together or anything, but . . . has anyone figured out where exactly we are? I doubt this is what heaven looks like."_

Nagakura Shinpachi: _"If so, we've been ripped off. Maybe this is hell?" _

Sannan Keisuke: _"No, we are very much alive, but where or how is still an enigma."_

Nagakura Shinpachi:_ "Well, do we have any clues? Like, where the hell is this? Why did we wake up with needles stuck to our skin, and heads too, which _

_really hurt by the way. Why are there so many dead people everywhere, it's starting to stink of rotting flesh, it's disgusting. How the hell did we end up here _

_anyway, I swear I was dead the last I checked."_

Harada Sanosuke:_ "Yeah, last I remember, I was fight off Rasetsu, and I was bleeding out beyond help. My body was cold, my heart stopped, I felt it. I know _

_I was dead, I know I was."_

Genzaburo Inoue:_ "I too recall having felt a katana stab right through to my heart, I remember blacking out, then . . . waking up here."_

Sannan Keisuke: _"Hijikata kun, I died, did I not?"_

Hijikata Toshizo:_ "Please Sannan san, I beg you not to have me remember such mortifying scenes."_ We all looked at one another perplexed. No matter how

hard we each tried to find an answer, not one of us knew how we got there, for we all recalled being dead.

Kondou Isami:_ "However we got here, we need to find out if there's anyone else recognizable around. Or if there's anyone who's still alive that can orient us _

_on what's happening and why."_ We all nodded. We split up not too far apart from one another and looked in each room down the dark and bloodcurdling dark

hall. Blood and flesh everywhere, on the walls, even chewed off fingers sticking on some of the windows, such revolting display. Harada checks into a room

and finds another one of those people in the white coats cut in half by a fallen broken window glass, it was a woman, agonizing so feebly. Sano let out a deep

sigh, she definitely wasn't alive, or rather, beyond help now. He turned and walked out the room, leaning against the wall of the hallway, he faced the floor

looking like he felt sick and waited for it to pass. In another room, Saito walked into, he sees children completely bathed in blood. One with their eyes still

open laying of the floor, his fingers were as if they've been bitten off. Saito leans forward and closes the boys eyes, and shadows over him for a long brief

moment. We kept walking down the hall till we ran into a room with stairs. I look back at everyone, the all nod back at me. I take the first step, and work my

way down as everyone follows behind me. We took a few steps till running into another opening to another hallway. The stairs continue down, but I decide to

lead everyone into the hallway and began scanning. First room to the right was empty, to the left, more bodies, more blood. Several decapitated heads.

Endless corpses. In my insides, I began doubting we would find anyone else alive. I was afraid to find that one of these corpses belonged to someone we

knew. Next room, to the right, more bodies, to the left, I see something walking out, I panicked at first, then noticed.

?: _"Yamazaki, did you find him-?! Hijikata san?! Is it really?!"_

I smiled back at the young man, However, before I could say anything, Shinpachi dashes past me from behind me and grabs on to the boy's head into a

headlock.

Nagakura Shinpachi: _"Heisuke! Oh man buddy you're here! Come 'ere man! It's been too, too long, I've missed messing with ya!"_

Toudo Heisuke:_ "A-I'm not sure I miss THIS at all!"_

Harada Sanosuke: _"Hey Shinpachi, Heisuke, that's great we're all together now, but can you keep it down, we still don't know what did all this mess. Also _

_have some respect, we're in the middle of a graveyard."_

Toudo Heisuke:_ "You're telling me?! Shinpachi san is the one who screamed then head locked me!"_

Hijikata Toshizo: _"We said to be quite Heisuke, you'll get us all in danger."_

Toudo Heisuke:_ "Just one minute in our 'reunion' and I'm already getting in trouble?!"_

Sannan Keisuke: _"Toudo kun, you called out for Yamazaki earlier. Was he here with you?"_

Shinpachi finally relieves Heisuke from the headlock. Heisuke makes his way closer to us and explains.

Toudo Heisuke: _"Uh, yeah. It was Yamazaki who found and helped me up and helped take out these crazy needles. He was telling me that he had woken up _

_days before now, but couldn't gain full consciousness and blacked out again. He said that when he first woke days before, he saw these people in white coats _

_take Souji away somewhere, so we split. I worked my way up this hallway to see if I could find anyone else, and he went down looking for Souji, in the _

_direction where he said they took him."_ Having heard that, I couldn't help but add on to the explanation.

Hijikata Toshizo:_ "I woke long ago as well. When I first woke, it was in that room up stairs, there were all these people in white coats speaking different _

_languages, I couldn't understand them. Then there was one who wore a strange formal uniform who spoke to me. I can't recall what happened next, _

_everything is a blur, at that point I didn't even know who I was."_ I pressed on my head with my hands trying to remember what happened. What happened

to all of us. I remember seeing everyone. How did we get there, what did that man in the uniform say? What was he telling me? I can't remember.

Kondo Isami:_ "Either way, we best follow Yamazaki san and find Souji. If they took him away, who knows what they've done to him. I fear for him with such _

_perplex spectacle."_

Toudo Heisuke: _"Yeah."_

Harada Sanosuke: _"Let's get going."_

Everyone starts walking down the hallway and enter another hallway to our left filled with rooms with glass doors and walls. Strips of electric rope spouting

sparks hung everywhere, unknown and unrecognizable equipment unlike anything that could possibly exist broken apart within the rooms. Large portions of

glass all over the floor made it difficult for us to walk in our bare feet. Taking steps carefully walking down the hall till we reached then. To the right a pitch

black hallway with flickering lights. To our left, another dead end. We take a right and continue till we reach the end of the hall.I halt and look back at the rest

of them. Saito points back to the other end notifying me to check it out once more. We return down to the other end and find a door introducing a mid-lit up

passage way to another dark end. We continue our way to the other side and continue walking. Exiting the passage to yet another hallway. The smell of

corpses lessened but didn't disappear. The hallway was more clear. A few blood stained corners on the floor, but it was more clear than what we first woke to.

blinking screen frames, some with images of people, moving pictures, images of distress. a person who sounded alarmed speaking in an unknown language,

". . . Confinement était futile. Le nombre d'infecté continue d'augmenter. On estime que 400 personnes sont infectées toutes les 5 minutes. Paris n'est plus

évacuée et est maintenant officiellement mis en quarantaine. Le gouvernement de la France a ordonné l'éradication de Paris par la nuit tombante. Tous les

civils qui sont mis en quarantaine et tentent de se échapper seront fusillés sur place. . ."_[2]_. Countless blinking frames with blurred images.

Toudo Heisuke:_ "Hijikata san! This way!"_

Kondou Isami:_ "Souji!" _

We all ran down the hall to find Yamazaki struggling to carry Souji out to us. Souji staggered, barely looked conscious at all. Blank pale, and gray. His mouth

semi covered in slight smudges of blood. I knew all too well what this meant, though I had hoped not to find him in this state anymore. We laid him down on

the floor, his back against the wall.

Susumu Yamazaki:_ "I suppose I can ask how you all are doing later, but Okita san needs attention right now. He's burning up." _

Kondou Isami:_ "Souji! How are you? Hang in there!"_

Souji looks up at Kondou san in complete astonishment.

Okita Souji:_ "Kondou san! Ho-"_ just as he was about to speak, he begins to cough and struggle to breathe.

Susumu Yamazaki:_ "I already told you not to speak, try to focus on just taking in air." Yamazaki turns to us and begins to look around. "We need something _

_to cool him down. Water or anything."_ He added.

Kondou Isami:_ "Water! We need water. Everyone look around, see what you can find." _

Saito Hajime: _"Though we have been to every corner of this place, all we have found is unknown broken equipment, flesh, blood, and dismembered body _

_parts. I'm not sure we'll find anything in here. We're going to have to get out of this place."_

Toudo Heisuke:_ "Yeah but, just what is this place? There just has to be something."_

Nagakura Shinpachi: _"I'm not even sure where we are exactly, how are we going to find an exit, everything just leads to endless hallways."_

Genzaburo Inoue; _"And we're not sure of what to expect outside." _

Kondou Isami:_ "Grrr, there must be something we can do! There must be someone, anyone alive here. They can't all be dead. We need help. I can't leave _

_Souji like this!" _

We all looked around, then at each other, wondering what it is we should do. Investigating what exactly our situation was key, but our priority had to be

Souji. He didn't look well at all, there's just no way we can make him move about in his condition. Time was ticking, he needed aid, he needed medicine fast.

Just as we began to rattle our heads with how we would go about the situation to help Souji and get to the bottom of this mystery, we hear gunshots from

across the other end of the hall which we had yet to explore.

[Female Voice 1]: "Shit! There's more of them."

[Female Voice 2]: "Over here! This way!"

[Male voice 1]: "There's a hidden parking structure on the last floor bellow us, the elevator should be this way!"

The voices drew closer to us with great haste. I turned to where the voices where coming from to find two foreign women and four Japanese men with

strange foreign clothing running towards our direction. They kept looking back so it seemed they did not notice us as they approached our direction.

[Female Voice 2]: The main servers should be this way, I'm going to need to access one of the administrative computers, but first, we need the generators

running just long enough to download the data on my spyware.

[Male Voice 1]: "_Mako, you tend to the generators."_

[Male Voice 2]:_ "hai."_

[Male Voice 1]: _"Sota, guard him." _

[Male Voice 3]: "_wakarimashita (understood)."_

[Male Voice 1]:_ "Toka, you and I will stand guard with the Doctor and Ms. Santos."_

[Male Voice 4]: _"hai."_

They drew closer to us, and just as they were about to pass us, Kondou san speaks up.

Kondou Isami: _"Please! We need help!" _

They stood in shock to see us, eyes wide open. They certainly where not expecting us here or alive.

[Male 1]: _"Who are you? What are you people doing here. This place is a restricted area, how did you gain access here?!"_

Saito Hajime: _"When we woke, we wounded up in this place. We have no memory of how we ended up in this place and are searching for answers as to why _

_we ended up here, and what is it that happened to all these people."_

They looked at one another confused, it's obvious that they could not answer our doubts, as they too were astonished to see us here in the first place.

Kondou Isami: _"Please, we need water. medicine, anything! Our comrade is gravely ill. He has an extremely high fever. Could you please help him? We beg _

_you!"_

[Male 1]: _"Ill? How so? What are his symptoms?" _He answered rather alarmed, his hands twitched on contact with his weapon. I had a very bad feeling about

this, I came closer to Souji in the case they would want to harm him or Kondou san. As they began to get closer, Souji begins to cough heavily. You could

hear how out of breath he became as he choked, then followed with an outpour of blood. Immediately the people leaped back and backed as far away from

Souji with a horrific look on their face, the men took out their weapons and aimed them at Souji. We urgently ran to cover Souji who was struggling to catch

his breath again after the episode concluded. Souji looked up at them in disbelief. Seeing their reaction took a hit at him evidently. He looked back down at

the puddle of blood he coughed up with a hurtful look. Then one of the women stepped forward and came closer to him.

[ Female 1]: _"Please, let me take a look at him, maybe there's something I could do."_

[Male 1]: _"_Dr. Loreto_, I order you to step away from him now! He may be infected!"_

Pamela Loreto: _"This man isn't infected. I can verify it."_

[Male 1]:_ "How so?"_

Pamela Loreto: _"The blood. The blood he coughed up, it's not pasty, thick, or black."_ She got even closer to Souji and began to inspect him. She carefully

lifted his head to meet his gaze. Souji looked at her astonished and calm, the fear in his gaze had vanished the instant his eyes met hers. Completely glued

to her eyes, Souji let her inspect him as she pleased, this certainly was not something Souji would tolerate, he had always been very on edge about anyone

invading his personal space, especially after an episode that he just had. This worried me, just how serious was his condition that he wasn't acting like

himself?

**~End of Hijikata's View~**

_[1] General! Come look at this! Quick! [German]_

_[2] . . . Containment was futile. The number of infected continues to rise. An estimated 400 people are infected every 5 minutes. Paris will no longer be evacuated and is now officially quarantined. The government of France ordered the eradication of Paris by nightfall. All civilians who are quarantined and try to escape will be shot on site. . . [French]_


End file.
